


Interlude 1: Dealing With Damage

by Caiti (Caitriona_3), GalahadsGurl



Series: The Cahill Project [27]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Beauty and the Beast (TV 2012), Grimm (TV), Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), Mission: Impossible (Movies), Nikita (TV 2010)
Genre: Don't Touch My Kids, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Jeremy Renner Character Combinations, Team as Family, The Cahill Project, the Brothers Grimm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 06:37:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17575769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalahadsGurl/pseuds/GalahadsGurl
Summary: Back from Vacation and Back to the Grind . . .And Will Grimm has an idiot to deal with.





	Interlude 1: Dealing With Damage

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys!!! Next chapter to our little saga! The next few will be as one-shots since they don't fit in any storyline specifically. They'll all be labeled as Interludes and a number. 
> 
> I hope to hear from you all! You're amazing and I love each and every one of you. 
> 
> Translations, as always, at the bottom. :D
> 
> Edit - a good suggestion in the comments recommended linking the earlier story - [Siblings](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16657099) \- as this is a follow up to the incident there. We will be getting the timeline updated soon, but notes and links never hurt! Thanks so much! ~Caiti & GG

[](https://imgur.com/pdE8Nl5)

Should any brave (or foolhardy) soul dare to go up to the Grimm house and glance through the window of William Grimm’s study, they might start planning their last will and testament in expectation of the coming war. Barring that, given the grim expressions on the faces of the men sitting around that study, said person might well assume these four men met to discuss a mission involving a world-shaping event or person. Not that Will would disagree, but said outsider would never guess their concern centered on a fifteen year old wisp of a girl who still hadn’t grasped her own importance to each of them, let alone the family. Tension filled the room, a dangerous aura pulsing in the air – visible in the taut lines of each figure, whether still or in motion.

Grant stumped back and forth across the room, his cane thudding against the floor with each step. Hansel sat in one of the visitor chairs, his gaze fixed on the fuming Specialist. As for Vincent, any casual observer might have thought the doctor to be the calmest man in the room as he lounged in the other chair. No one in their family would agree to that, however – not with his eyes glowing a feral gold.

Will leaned back in his chair, his features like ice as he spun a pen around two fingers and watched the other three men. The look on his face warned of the potential for bloodshed. Although he’d come home from the Hamptons as relaxed and well-rested as he’d ever been, the realities of SHIELD reasserted themselves as soon as he opened his email. He repressed a sigh – part of him wanted to go back to the vacation house and barricade the doors.

_No rest for the wicked._

Holding back his snort at the thought, he cleared his throat to call Grant’s attention to him. “I have a name,” he began, “but before I give it, I want to know **everything**. From the first second you saw him until the moment he scampered away like a rat. I need to know everything that happened.”

The Specialist dragged in a deep breath through his nose, trying to calm down as he came to a careful parade rest across from Will's desk. "He scared her."

"I know," he replied with an understanding smile. "What else happened?"

Grant took another deep breath, eyes slipping closed before he straightened just that small inch more. Fingers going white-knuckled on the head of his cane, he fixated on a point over Will's head and began to recount the encounter with near perfect recall. Occasionally, Will made a note on the pad in front of him, something Grant offered augmenting the incident Will had observed on the security feed. 

When the younger man had finished with having run the agent off, Will looked up at him over the glasses perched on his nose. "And what happened when you took her to Dad's office?"

"Nothing. She was relieved, obviously." He shrugged a little, even as he scoffed, "She hadn't even realized he'd hurt her until she tried to hitch herself up onto Herr Kuhn's desk."

"How bad was it, Dad?"

"A good sized bruise, _Adler_. Hyu could see the man's individual fingers . . . he vas not kind to her," the German recounted, his accent thick and heavy in direct correlation with his anger. 

Responding with a quiet hum, Will’s eyes narrowed as he read over his notes once again. 

“I’m going to rip out his spleen.”

The words, the fury in Vincent’s voice, pulled him out of his contemplation. “No, you’re not.” Will looked up, his sharp gaze pinning the family medic in his seat. “No one is ripping off any heads – even if he does deserve it.”

"You can't be serious!" Vincent surged to his feet, the wrath boiling over. "You're going to let him get away with this!? He bruised my little girl!" 

“Sit down!”

Gold and brown flickered as though Vincent fought with surprise at the thundering order. He obeyed, however, flopping backward into his seat with an irritated huff. Will cleared his throat, the displeasure clear in the pointed sound causing Vincent to wince. “Sorry, sir.”

“That was your only warning.” Will sat forward, all of his authority – as both superior officer and family leader – resting heavy on his shoulders. “Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” Vincent repeated, a hot blush creeping up the back of his neck.

“Good.” Leaning back, Will let his shoulders relax. “Now, as for your unwarranted accusation,” he continued, pretending not to see the embarrassment grow in his friend’s face, “no, I’m not planning on letting him get away with this. However, I do have to acknowledge the extraordinary nature of the event.” Molten silver eyes swept the faces in front of him. “Children don’t just roam SHIELD HQ. Not even Rene has ever just wandered around – he’s been escorted. The girls have created a very different situation and we didn’t make allowances for it.”

“Allowances, sir?” Grant probed. The Specialist didn’t look any happier with the situation than Vincent, but Will could see the reluctant acceptance in his whiskey colored eyes. 

“Drop the sir, Grant, and sit down.” One corner of the man’s mouth twitched in amusement, but he remained silent even as he moved to take a seat, so Will just shook his head and continued. “We should have made security arrangements as soon as we realized Dacia and Inari would have a tendency to go looking for different members of the family at random time.” His lips thinned. “How the agent handled the encounter was inappropriate, **especially** if he truly thought her a civilian, but his reasons for stopping her were valid.”

“Yeah, and she pointed that out.” Agreement had never sounded as reluctant as that one comment from Grant. 

“Exactly.” He glanced at each of them once more. “I’ve come up with an idea I plan to recommend to Fury and Maria. Marina approves, but I want to get your input and agreement before I move forward.” The corners of his mouth turned down. “Then I can have a . . . meeting with Agent Blanton.”

“What idea, _mein Adler_?”

Will folded his hands on the file folder laying on the desk in front of him. “How often do you think Dacia will come to see you at your office?”

“She knows it is a safe space for her,” the older man replied with a shrug. When Will gave him a flat look, he gave a small huff. “And she likes to study there,” he continued, “so I would expect often. Why?”

“And Inari?” Will asked, directing his attention towards Vincent. “How often will she be at headquarters?”

“Any time she wants to come visit me,” the doctor replied. “Probably anytime Sam comes to town.”

“So we need to make arrangements to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.” Will tapped the file. “I want to talk to Nick about setting up a seminar for all agents to attend. Eventually it will be part of the training for all incoming agents – an orientation, more or less.”

“Seminar?” Grant frowned, cocking his head to the side as he stared at the family boss. “Orientation? For what?”

“The Grimms.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If the girls are going to be traipsing around SHIELD unaccompanied, I want our agents to be clear on who falls under our jurisdiction and who they should, therefore, leave alone.” 

“Hyur sons will no doubt be on there as well,” Hansel pointed out.

“There’s that, too.”

Vincent leaned forward, his color back to normal and his eyes a steady hazel. “Who all would be in this orientation?”

“Everyone?” Will shrugged, one corner of his mouth quirking in a small, apologetic smile for the sarcasm in his reply. “I want to prevent another situation like this one. Because, while I can acknowledge the reasons for the altercation and keep my temper this time, I can’t guarantee I won’t lose it **next** time.” The soft scoffing sound from his father drew a grimace. “At least I’m not calling for his head on a pike,” he pointed out. “So we’ll call it a win.”

“And what happens to Agent Blanton?”

Seeing the gold edge growing in Vincent’s gaze again concerned Will even as the question drew a growl. “That’s a damned good question. Normally I’d drop him in Antarctica and let him do surveillance there, but that might mess up some of our undercover operations.” The sardonic frown held frustration and temper. “The last thing I need is for Agent Blanton to realize his new station is missing a few people.”

“ _Grauchen_ will be furious if _Kleriker_ gets killed,” Hansel agreed, a frown settling on his mouth. He’d been read into the mission in question, despite Will and Marina’s preferences to the contrary. Regardless of the need to keep the people in the know limited to a bare minimum, he’d had to sign off on the assignment to begin with, since Bishop had been training under his supervision at the time.

“Indeed.”

“Too bad the South Pole makes such a good ‘dumping’ ground,” Grant scoffed. “Then we wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“It’s one of the few places people can’t just ‘accidentally’ wander into,” Will pointed out. He appreciated that neither of the other men asked any questions. They knew the score as well as anybody, and they’d let it go. 

“ _Verdammt_.” Hansel’s muttered curse filled the office before he looked at his son. “What other options do we have?”

“I’m thinking of ordering him to handle public relations at the Triskelion. It gets him out of New York and forces him to interact with civilians.” Will would never admit it, but he pouted a little as he announced his plan. “With any luck, he’ll learn some manners.”

“You don’t look happy about this plan.”

Will’s gaze shot to Vincent. “I told you – I want to pack him off to Antarctica until he either grows a brain or freezes to death.” He couldn’t keep the angry growl out of his voice this time as his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. “He put bruises on one of my kids.” Silence fell and he worked to let go of some of the tension, taking several deep breaths. “Unfortunately that’s not an option – so this is the next best plan I can come up with.”

“What about assigning him to Coulson?”

Impressed by the viciousness inherent in the question, Will turned a fond smile on Grant. “That’s . . . maliciousness in its purest form.”

“He hurt my _sestrenka_. I want him to rot.”

"A sentiment I can get behind," Will replied, picking up his pen and turning it over in his hands. "However, be that as it may, Coulson has refused to take any personal assistants. Apparently they make him nervous. And as much as I'd accept Vika as an acceptable second option, what are **you** going to do when he takes the work she has for you and does it himself?"

“This sucks.”

“Indubitably.” The calm reply drew soft, if reluctant chuckles from the others. “So, barring the Coulsons, and Fury, since he’s still stuck with Harrison – who is either masochistic or an idiot - the Triskelion civilian liaison position is the best option I have right now.”

The thought still rankled as he drove into the office. Finding tasks for the others to get their minds off the shared vexation at having to let the idiot off with such a light sentence, Will wished he could focus on something else himself. No such luck however. He strode into his office, tempted to snap off something snarky and sarcastic as Owen appeared out of nowhere, planting himself at the empty admin’s desk and putting his feet up. Biting off his best friend’s head wouldn’t make him feel better – and of course, the man would just take the abuse, making Will feel **worse**.

So instead of letting loose his temper, he stopped with one hand on his office door. “Coulson’s on his way. Send him in as soon as he gets here.”

“You got it.”

“Then I want Agent Blanton in here immediately,” Will ordered. “And if Grant gets here with Dacia before I’m done -.”

“I’ll find something for Ward and the Brat to do until the coast is clear.”

The sheer calm in Owen’s tone might have fooled anyone else, but not Will. He narrowed his eyes on his best friend’s face. “Something you want to add, Lucky?”

“Just a reminder - I’m always available to clean up the family problems, Boss.”

A tiny hint of humor lightened Will’s load, alleviated by the unqualified support promised in that quiet sentence. For a brief moment, his mouth curled into the smallest of smiles. “Don’t tempt me.”

“It's only tempting if you plan to take me up on the offer, Boss.”

“As I said . . . don’t tempt me.”

Owen grinned, shooting the older man a cocking salute in reply. "Whatever you say, Boss. I've got the watch. You do what you need to do." 

A well of affection and gratitude for the man left the officer smiling. "Thank you, Lucky."

"That's what I'm here for.” Owen waved him off. "Go on. If I know Ol' Stick Up His Ass, he's already on his way here. And you're going to want to be ready for him."

Will's eyes narrowed at the statement. "You think he knows?"

"Boss, **everyone** knows. I'm pretty sure Blanton's been walking around on eggshells, waiting for someone to haul him off and dump him in some pit." A flashfire grin accompanied a quick wink. "Your reputation precedes you, as always, Will."

"When I figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing, I'll let you know."

"I just bet you will," Owen crowed with a wide grin. "Go on. I got your back, same as always."

"Very few people I trust more than you at my back," Will vowed before disappearing into his office. 

The quiet knock on Will’s door interrupted his work and he looked up as the panel creaked open to admit Phil Coulson. "So, how was your vacation?" the man asked, reaching up to unfasten his suit coat. 

“Not long enough,” Will chuckled as he rose from his seat. They shared a quick fond embrace before Coulson dropped into the chair across from his desk. "How is my godson?"

"Desperate to see Valya again." Coulson rolled his eyes. "You would have thought they'd been separated for decades or something, instead of just a week."

"Valya missed him too, I assure you.” Humor lit the silver blue eyes. “You know, we’re going to have trouble with those two when they get older."

"That I had already resigned myself to," he agreed with a chuckle. "Now, about Blanton . . . what pit are we burying him in?"

"Unfortunately, there's no burial in his future. Although, he may wish there was one once he finds out he's going to be the public relations liaison at the Triskelion in Washington DC."

Coulson's eyebrows rose as he announced, "Evil!" 

“Deserved.” 

"Indeed. How is Dacia?"

"Bruised, but according to Grant’s commentary, not nearly as upset about that as the rest of us." Sighing, Will began to twirl his pen around his fingers again as he slumped backwards in his chair. "I intend to address that once Blanton has left my office, new assignment in hand."

Coulson nodded, but then a small smirk started to crawl across his face. "So, my wife mentioned Agent Petrovka is working from home today . . ." Will's grimace at the statement gave a clear enough hint as to his opinion, causing Coulson to laugh out loud. "Does she know what happened to Dacia yet?"

"No; with any luck, she won't find out until Blanton is on a jet headed south."

"You know Vika has paperwork for her today, right? And you know my wife - she keeps no secrets from her sisters."

"Hence why I already purchased the expensive apology," Will agreed with a sheepish smile. "With any luck, she'll hold off on murdering me until I get the chance to give it to her."

"Good luck," he chuckled, earning a groaned, "Indeed." in reply. 

A moment later, both men turned to face the door as Owen stuck his head through. "Blanton's here, so if you wanna get your game faces on . . ."

"Thanks Lucky. Give me a second, then you can send him in," Will replied. Coulson stood up, refastening his coat as he moved to lean against the wall to Will's left, arms folded over his chest and wearing his most terrifying expression. The man nodded in response to Will's look, which in turn meant Owen nodded as well. 

"Here he comes."

Will leaned back in his chair, a fierce frown directed towards the door as Agent Joshua Blanton crept into the office. The agent’s discomfort showed in his fidgeting hands and the way his eyes darted around the room before trying to focus on Will. He couldn’t quite meet the Colonel’s eyes. “You asked to see me, sir?”

“I did.” Will folded his hands on top of the desk. “Are you aware of why that is?”

One hand lifted to scratch at the back of his neck. “I have an inkling, sir.”

“Good.” Voice cold and eyes pure silver at this point. “Enlighten me then.”

“I . . . um.” The young man gulped, his eyes wide as they shifted between the two men facing him across the desk. “I . . . had an altercation with Agent Ward’s sister the other day, sir.” He paused to gather his wits, giving Will a moment to consider the potential ramifications for Grant’s somewhat public claiming of kinship to his Wildcat. Putting that to the side, Will refocused as Agent Blanton continued. “And I, um . . . I . . . might have been . . . um . . . overzealous, sir.”

“’Might’, Agent Blanton?” Coulson’s tone held a polite disdain. “You injured a civilian – a **minor** civilian. Regardless of the provocation, unless you believed there to be a direct threat to your life, that is unacceptable.”

“Furthermore,” Will broke in, the silver of his eyes vanishing beneath a furious green, “As the daughter of the head of SHIELD medical and the granddaughter of the head of SWORD – all documented in her file - Dacia Keller possesses all of the necessary security allowances to walk unaccompanied to Herr Kuhn’s office. If you had taken a moment to question her, instead of jumping to conclusions, this entire situation might have been avoided.”

Blanton paled further, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Even if you hadn’t felt you could take her word for it, you should have taken the time to check with the security desk due to the potential breach by unauthorized personnel.” Coulson still hadn’t moved from his spot. Even his expression remained stoic and distant. “Had you bothered to follow protocol, **security** would have cleared her and you would not be standing here at this moment.” Disapproval filled his voice. “You handled this wrong from the first moment you saw her.”

“You bruised her.” Will’s voice cut through the room like ice. “She’s one of the children under **my** protection . . . and you marked her. Trust me – if Agent Petrovka had learned of this first as opposed to me?” He paused to let that idea sink in and could see that his partner’s reputation preceded her if the young agent’s reaction was anything to go by. “You could be having a very different conversation right now.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“As it is, you’re dealing with me.” He leaned back, allowing the hint of a smirk to settle on his lips. Somehow he didn’t think Agent Blanton appreciated the humor. The kid looked terrified. “I’ve elected to be lenient as you did have **some** cause for stopping her. You’re being reassigned, effective immediately. Report to your new post at the Triskelion in D.C. first thing tomorrow morning.”

“The Triskelion, sir?” Blanton stared at him, eyes wide in shock.

He thought he got off lightly. Will could see that and took a small satisfaction in shattering that illusion. “You will be their new public relations liaison,” he explained, “in charge of the tours through the building, as well as the public outreach opportunities that take place at schools, parks, and community centers.”

Visible horror shone in the man’s face as he looked between the two superior agents as if hoping for some sign of a joke. Will lifted an eyebrow and Blanton sighed, his reluctant resignation clear in the sound. “Yes, sir.”

“Your first shift starts at 0700 tomorrow morning, so I would suggest you go home and pack. If you’re not on the next flight heading south…” Will allowed his voice to trail off, the humor doing nothing to mask the warning in his words. “You don’t want to miss that flight, Agent. We have a couple of people who would really like to . . . **discuss** this situation with you.”

“Yes, sir,” Blanton agreed, offering a brisk nod despite the renewed pallor. “I’ll be on it.”

“I hope you learn something in D.C., Blanton.” Will returned the nod. “Dismissed.”

“Sir.”

The agent hurried out of the room as if a hellhound nipped at his heels. 

“Am I that terrifying?” Will asked, sending a glance over his shoulder at Coulson.

“Do you actually need me to answer that question?” The quick response drew a soft snort from Will as the other man pulled away from the wall. “That went well, I think. Better than I expected at the very least.”

Another snort of laughter came from Owen where he lounged against the open door jamb. “It helped that he had already figured out that he done fucked up.”

“Your command of the English language is inspired as always, Elliot.” Coulson walked around the corner of the desk. He gave Will a curious look. “I have a department to oversee if you have no further need of me?”

“Thanks for being here to make sure I didn’t murder the idiot.”

“Not that you needed my help for that.” Pale blue eyes sparkled as he walked to the door. “Though it’s always a pleasure to watch you work, Colonel Grimm.”

“Back at you.”

Coulson and Owen exchanged brief nods of farewell. Will watched as his best friend shut the door and rambled over to a free chair. Taking a seat and lounging back, Owen gave a lazy smile. “So? I’m assuming it went well?”

“Well enough,” he agreed. “We’ll see how it goes from here.” Rubbing his face with one hand, he sighed. “You heard from Marina?”

“Just a suggestion, Boss, but I wouldn’t check your phone until **after** you’ve done your groveling.” The smirk deepened on Owen’s face. “At least not if her texts to me are any indication at all.”

Will slumped back in his chair with a groan. “She’s going to kill me.”

That sent his best friend into a crow of laughter. “Maybe. Dacia **is** kind of her protégé at the moment.” He took a few moments to gather himself back under control. “Not sure what you thought was going to happen when she found out about the incident.”

“I don’t think I expected her to find out so quickly.” Will rolled his eyes. “Vika told her?”

“Almost the second she walked through the door. According to her texts, she left Marina being a little more vicious than usual concerning the steak for dinner tonight.”

“She’s cooking . . . great.” His head dropped back against his chair. “In the kitchen – with her brand new knife collection. Wonderful.”

“Maybe she’ll get done before you get home.” Before Will could reply to his friend’s teasing comment, someone knocked on the door. Owen grinned. “And **that** would be the Brat, I’m sure.”

“You two,” Will chuckled. While he knew his friend kept a prioritized list of importance somewhere in the depths of his cunning brain - with himself and Marina at the top - no one could accuse the man of not being devoted to the entire family – most especially the kids. But, most particular of all, Owen approved and appreciated Dacia’s fierce protective streak and Inari’s loyalty. “You ever going to lay off one another?”

“Hell no!” Owen scoffed. “If I didn’t insult her, she’d think I was mad at her or something.”

A second knock on the door – this one accompanied by Grant’s voice calling “Sir?” – prevented any response. So Will just shook his head at his friend before calling out. “Come!”

Dacia walked into the office, sending a teasing grin over her shoulder. “It’s just Lucky – told you we didn’t have to disappear again!” Her struggle to hold back laughter showed in her twitching lips and the light dancing in her cobalt eyes. “Hey, Will!”

The sight of her might have made Will smile in return, but his own gaze narrowed on the dark color smudging the fair skin beneath those pretty eyes of hers. He made a mental note to look into that soon. Probably not today; one tough topic at a time. “Something funny, sweetheart?”

“ _Maulwurf_ is pouting about something,” she chuckled, “but he’s trying to pretend he’s not. So he’s getting exasperated with me trying to tease him out of it.” Mischief glittered in her gaze. “I’d have figured it out in another minute, but he gave me a push towards the door with instructions to knock. **Then** he got worried when you didn’t answer.”

“Didn't think you were the kind to be pushed around, Brat.”

“Just because I don’t let you do it, silly goof, doesn’t mean I don’t know when to play along.” She made a face before sticking out her tongue at Owen. 

“Whatever you say, short stack. Either way, that's my cue. I'm out.” Owen rose to his feet, directing a teasing grin towards Will. “Boss, good luck at continuing to avoid the Boss-Lady’s texts.”

Head tilting, curiosity clear in her eyes, Dacia focused on him as Owen left. “What’s up with Marina?”

Good a starting point as any, Will figured. “Have a seat,” he suggested, pointing towards the couch. “Let me fill you in.” 

“Fill me in on what?” Sitting down, she pulled her legs up to sit tailor-fashion.

“Grant informed me of last week’s incident,” he began as he rose to join her. He lifted an eyebrow as she rolled her eyes. “Something you want to add?”

She heaved out a sigh. “Seriously, Will, they were just a few bruises. I’ve had worse.”

“Not the point.” As if he needed more of a reason to be pissed at this situation? Her offhand acceptance of the bruises his father had described bothered him. She and her sister should feel safe here - they shouldn’t be so willing to overlook someone causing them pain. Not here, not where he and his family held so much sway. “May I see them?”

“Okay.” She shrugged and began to push up her sleeve. Then she paused. “You going to get all growly and grumbly like _Maulwurf_ and _Opa_ did?”

“Probably.”

“Uh, huh . . . well, then. Pretty sure you can’t really reprimand a guy that was mostly just doing his job, you know,” she pointed out even as she started pushing up her sleeve again. “I don’t think he knew I was allowed to be visiting Hansel.”

Will didn’t answer. His attention focused on the purple marks encircling her arm. As his father noted, he could see the clear handprint Agent Blanton left behind after grabbing her. “ _Loshad', stoyashchaya pered synom obez'yany, gorbatoy suki_.”

“I don’t know what you just said,” Dacia laughed, “but I’m betting Cat might **really** reach for the soap if I repeated it.”

“Definitely don't repeat it,” he smiled, scrubbing one hand over his face. 

“Okay then . . . see? Just bruises.”

“There is no such thing as ‘just bruises’.” Will reached out and folded his hand over top of the bruises. “Not on one of my kids.”

For a moment, she remained silent, just watching him as if trying to take in another meaning to his words. “They’ll be gone soon enough.” She wrinkled her nose. “Pissed me off in school today though,” she admitted. “I had to keep my jacket on all day. The teachers started giving me weird looks in class and asking questions.” Red flickered in her eyes for a brief moment. “As if Vincent would ever hurt me!”

“No one should ever hurt you, Dacia. Not ever.” He made a note to talk to Catherine about meeting with the teachers before someone started rumors or any kind of investigation. “As for why Grant is irritated . . .” Will managed a chuckle despite the low level burn of irritation at the marks on her skin. “He didn’t get to murder Blanton. We dispensed with him in . . . a more genial way, as much as we all hate it.”

“Yeah, well, he got to scare the guy, so he . . .” Her voice trailed off and she blinked at him. “Wait; the guy got punished?”

“Of course he did.”

“Huh.” She shook her head, tone sincere as she explained, “I didn’t really expect that.”

Will frowned a little, tone cautious as he asked, “Why not?”

“How do you punish a guy for doing his job?” Biting her lip, she eyed him with caution. “And . . . well, things were about to get really, really nasty when Grant interrupted.” One corner of her mouth pulled into an unhappy twist as her voice lowered, thick with reluctance. “Not that the guy knew that…”

“He wasn’t punished for doing his job,” Will corrected. “He was punished for the manner in which he did his job. He had resources at his disposal to verify your clearance. Beyond that, if he truly though you were a civilian? In no way should he have laid hands on you – let alone tight enough to bruise you.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he tightened his lips into a thin line. “Besides, if he scared you enough to bring you that close to throwing away your secret? All the more reason to make sure he faced some consequences.” 

She winced. “Sorry?”

“For what?”

“Almost losing control?”

“Try again,” he scolded gently. “Cause that's a terrible reason to be sorry for anything.”

“But I could have exposed us!” She shook her head. “And I’d have killed him, Will.”

“Which is what I have Lucky for. He already volunteered to clean up that problem if I ended up killing him.” Will watched as she blinked, surprised by his announcement. “He's even more likely to clean it up if it's you doing the killing.”

“That’s . . .” Her words seemed to fail her as she sat back. “I’m . . . I’m not even sure what to say to that.”

“There typically isn't anything you **can** say to that. But even if you'd killed him - which I don't believe would have happened because you're a good, smart kid - it would have been in self-defense. No-one could ever hold that against you.”

“I guess.” Pulling her legs up, she wrapped her arms around her shins and stared at him. “What did you do to him?”

“He's going to get a lesson in civilian relations, at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s main base in Washington DC, the Triskelion. It's a dreadful assignment and nobody likes it.”

“Working with people all the time?” She gave a mock shudder. “Who could blame them? I might feel a little sorry for him.” Resting her chin on her knees, she appeared to consider it for a long moment. Then humor began sparking in her eyes again. “Or maybe not.”

“Don’t feel too bad for him,” Will advised as his gaze focused on the bruises once more. “It’s kinder than he deserves. Vincent wanted to rip out his spleen. I’m not even sure what plans your grandfather had percolating in his brain.” One corner of his mouth pulled up into a wry grin. “Grant and I wanted to drop him in a pit and listen to him scream.”

“And people think I’m vicious,” she chuckled. “At least I’d have just torn out his throat. Fast, easy, and over quick.” Dacia paused, glancing down in thought. After a couple of quiet moments, she peered up at him through her lashes. “I get protecting the pack, but . . . I don’t get why everyone’s so upset.”

“Because you’re important to us. We brought you and your sister into the family and we promised to protect you both, to keep you both safe.” He brushed his fingertips over the bruises. “This? This is **not** something we consider ‘safe’. It should never have happened in our territory.” Reaching up, he cupped her chin in his palm to draw her face up so their eyes met. “You’re **my** kid. No matter what else happens, that will always be true. And no one – not Blanton, not Merrick, not even John fucking Winchester – will **ever** hurt my kids on my watch. Not without facing consequences.” He let her go. “Is that clear enough? Or do I need to try and explain it again?”

Something told Will they’d be having a similar conversation again at some point in the future. Damn, but sometimes he’d like to go back in time and skin Damien Sullivan before shooting him. Her sense of self-worth possessed almost as many holes and wrinkles as his or his brothers. For now, he’d take her nod as a win, but he’d keep an eye on her. Maybe he could draft a few others to do the same - several members of the family adored her and they could work on her.

“Come on,” he ordered, rising from his seat. “Vika’s already tattled and if I don’t bring you to Marishka, she might actually kill me this time.”

Her giggles rewarded his little attempt at humor. Leading her from the room, they gathered up both Owen and Grant - his best friend wouldn’t stay without him and having the full Trinity of Trouble there might soften Marina’s temper even more. With his sparkling new apology resting in his pocket, he drove them out to the house.

Furious banging sounds echoed from the kitchen, earning a chortling laugh from Owen. “Good luck, Boss!”

“You’re a pal, Luck, really you are.” Fumbling in his pocket, he moved through the living room towards the kitchen. “Marishka! You home?”

A loud crash drew a sharp wince even before her voice called out. “Is there something I can help you with, William Michael?”

Grant choked at the cold tone, freezing in place, but Owen leaned against the wall, snickering. Dacia giggled, her hands coming up to smother the sound behind her palms. Will aimed a sharp glare at all three before he stepped into the kitchen. “ _Allo Marishka . . . samaya malen'kaya . . . zhemchuzhina . . . moya sumasshedshaya devushka_ . . . you look radiant today.”

“You can lay off the flattery, William Michael Grimm,” she scolded, her back turned to him. “I am furious with you right now.”

“ _Zhemchuzhina_ ,” he coaxed, sidling up and wrapping his one arm around her waist while the other pulled a glittering necklace from his cargo pocket.

“Oh no, you don’t!” She whirled on him, forcing him to release her. The knife in her hand came up to level with his face as she waggling it at him as if to make her point. “How dare you not tell me what that _chertov' mudak_ Blanton did to Dacia?”

“I knew how you would react.” He brushed the knife away with one hand and lifted the pendant with the other.

Whatever she’d been about to say came to an abrupt halt as she gasped at the sight of the gorgeous raw amethyst hanging from the silver chain. “Oh, Misha!” she breathed. Then she blinked and jolted backwards, forcing her face into stern lines. “No! No, I am mad at you and you’re not getting out of it this time!”

“I love you, Marishka,” he soothed. “I was trying to protect you – and Dacia too.” Holding out the necklace, he offered her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you – you know I did.”

As she reached up to touch the glinting silver, the battle played out in Marina’s chocolate colored eyes as she fought to hold onto her frown, but then her shoulders slumped with a sigh. “Damn. Am I ever going to be able to stay mad at you?”

Gathering her close, Will let out a relieved sigh as he pressed a warm kiss to her mouth. “Here’s hoping not.” He pressed his forehead to hers. “I **am** sorry.”

“I know.” Adoration gleamed in her beautiful eyes. “I love you, Mishka. Even if you’re an idiot.”

He grinned at her, nose brushing against her own as he vowed in reply, “ _Vsegda, samaya malen'kaya._ ”

They remained that way for several long moments, happy to be in harmony, before a soft voice interrupted. “Is it safe to come in now?”

“Dacia!” Marina pulled away from him, tossing her knife in the sink even as she moved to pull the teen into a hug. “Are you alright?”

“Of course I am.” The blonde rolled her eyes even as she returned the embrace. “I promise – I’m fine . . . ahem. I’m good.” She snickered. “I always forget this family hates that word.”

“We wouldn’t hate it if people knew how to use it.” Marina stepped back. “Are you joining us for dinner?”

“Yes, she is.”

Both females blinked at him and then Dacia giggled. “Guess so!” she chirped. “And since you’re cooking, I’m about to go find the others. Enj wants me to take one last look at his project before he turns it in tomorrow.”

“I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to get your opinion. They’re all upstairs.” Marina sighed. “Probably wondering what happened and waiting for the coast to clear to come check.”

“Yeah, but first?” She bit her lip, gaze swinging from one to the other. “I wanted to ask a question.”

“Of course, love – you can ask us anything!”

Will watched as their young charge gave a slow nod, glancing around the kitchen as if to find the words to phrase her question. Marina started to speak, but he put a hand on her shoulder, gesturing her to silence. Dacia needed to work this out in her own time. He glanced at the necklace still in his hand and moved to put it around his lover’s neck. The teen watched, her nerves settling. Making a mental note to get her some kind of token, he hooked the clasp and then shifted to lean against the countertop.

“What are the Russian words for aunt and uncle?”

The abrupt question drew blinks and raised eyebrows, but Marina shook herself free from her surprise. “Uncle would be _Dyadya_ ,” she replied. “Aunt is _Tetya_.”

“Cool.”

“Mind if I ask why?” 

Curiosity lit Marina’s voice, but Will thought he understood and the knowledge that he might have reached the stubborn girl relaxed his shoulders. 

Dacia gave them both a bright grin as she nodded towards him. “He laid claim, so I figured I could do the same.”

**Author's Note:**

> Translations: 
> 
> (G) Adler - Eagle (Hansel's nickname for his son, Will)  
> (G) Grauchen - little Grey (Hansel's nickname for his son-in-law, Bucky Barnes)  
> (G) Kleriker - Bishop/Cleric (Hansel's name for Kate Bishop, currently classified as top secret and deep undercover)  
> (G) Verdammt - damn it  
> (R) sestrenka - little sister (Grant Ward uses to describe Dacia Leikos-Keller)  
> (G) Maulwurf - mole (Dacia's nickname for her self-proclaimed older brother, Grant Ward)  
> (G) Opa - Grandfather (Dacia's name for Hansel Kuhn, her adoptive grandfather)  
> (R) Loshad', stoyashchaya pered synom obez'yany, gorbatoy suki - Horse faced son of a monkey humping bitch  
> (R) Samaya malen'kaya - my little one (one of Will's most common nicknames for his longtime partner, Marina Petrovka)  
> (R) zhemchuzhina - pearl (one of Will's most common nicknames for his longtime partner, Marina Petrovka)  
> (R) moya sumasshedshaya devushka - my crazy girl (one of Will's less common nicknames for his long time partner, Marina Petrovka)  
> (R) chertov' mudak - fucking asshole  
> (R) Vsegda - always  
> (R) Dyadya - Uncle (Dacia comes to use the term exclusively for Will Grimm)  
> (R) Tetya - Aunt (Dacia comes to use the term exclusively for Marina Petrovka)


End file.
